Shoe-lace fastener



(N0 MOdG L) G. P. HATHAWAY. SHOE LACE FASTENBR.

No. 500,497. Patented June 27. 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OORNELIA F. HATHAWAY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SHOE-LACE FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,497, dated June 27, 1893.

Application filed April 26, 1893. Serial No- 4=71 924. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CORNELIA F. HATHA- WAY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement.

in Shoe-String Fasteners; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of shoestring fasteners in which a clamp is fitted to and embraces the parts of the bow or other slip-knot, whereby the latter is prevented from loosening and undoing.

My invention consists in a two-part or sectional frame of wire having eyes at one end whereby the parts or sections are hinged and may be closed together or opened out from each other, and a clasp fitted to the free end of one part or section, and adapted to engage and to release the free end of the other part or section, all as I sh all hereinafter fully describe and specifically claim.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, neat and eifective fastening for the slip-knots of shoe strings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention,Figure 1 is a perspective view of my fastener, showing it open. Fig. 2 is a view showing it closed. Fig. 3 is a View showing its application to the shoe-string.

The whole device consists of a frame composed of two sections A and B and a clasp C. The section A is formed of a piece of wire shaped to form three sides, its ends being bent into eyes a'. The section B also consists of a piece of wire shaped to form four sides, one end being passed through the eyes a, thereby forming a hinge connection between the two sections. The two sections are about equal in size so that their sides lie, when closed, quite close together.

The clasp C is a piece of metal having one edge bent into an eye 0 which is pivotally fitted upon the free end of section B. Its other edge 0' is bent, and is adapted to fit over the free end of section A, thus holding the two sections together. The clasp can easily be turned back to relieve its edge 0' of section A, thereby releasing the two sections.

The application of the fastener to a shoestring is shown in Fig. 3.

D represents the meeting parts of the shoe and E the strings. These are laced as usual and their ends are tied into an ordinary slip or bow-knot. The section A is slipped under and the section Bis passed over several parts of the knot, and then the clasp O is turned to place to hold the two sections together. The parts of the knot are thus confined and are firmly clamped between the sides of the two sections, and the knot cannot come undone.

I am aware of the use of a two part clamp hinged together and fitted to the knot in substantially the manner above described. But this device depends for its locking upon a spring, and for its holding efiect upon teeth which are supposed to embed themselves in the string. It is not made of wire but of a substantial metallic frame, which makes it clumsy and conspicuous. My device, on the contrary, being made of wire, is light, and can be made as neat as desirable, and by being made black in color is very inconspicuous. And furthermore, by being made of wire, the gripping or binding effect of the closely lying sides is much increased, as they embed the n1- selves fully in the soft material of the string, thus clamping it without puncturing and without the use of teeth. The clasp holds the parts well together, and can be readily set to place and as easily unfastened to relieve the parts.

The whole fastener is moreover cheap in construction, and has no parts which are liable to be broken or to become disarranged.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A shoe-string fastener, consisting of the section A of wire having the eyes a, the section B of wire having one end pivoted in the eyes aof section A, and the clasp O pivoted upon the free end of one section and adapted to engage and to release the free end of the other section, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

OORNELIA F. HATHAWAY.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, H. F. ASCHECK. 

